USA: Ruins of Viking Settlement Discovered near Hudson River

Stony Point, NY | A team of landscaping workers, proceeding to an excavation near the banks of the Hudson river, has discovered the archeological remains of a Norse village dating from the 9th or 10th Century AD.

The workers were digging with a mechanical shovel near the shores of Minisceongo creek when they stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient building. A team of archaeologists linked to Columbia University was called to the site to inspect the findings, and they rapidly identified the site as a possible Viking settlement. They proceeded to extend the excavation, and have finally discovered the remains of six buildings.

The various structures are believed to have been constructed of sod, placed over a wooden frame. Based on the associated artifacts, the buildings were variously identified as four dwellings and two workshops. The largest dwelling measured 88 by 42 feet (26.8 by 12.8 meters) and consisted of several rooms, while two of the dwellings were much smaller and were identified as living quarters for lower-status crew or slaves. The two workshops for their part were identified as an iron smithy, containing a large forge, and a carpentry workshop.

It is unclear how many men and women lived at the site at any given time, but the archaeological evidence suggests it had the capacity of supporting between 30 to 100 individuals, and that the site was inhabited by the Norse for a relatively short period of time.

The Norse smithy still contained the remains of 10th Century tools and a small quantity of raw iron ore.

During their search of the site, the archaeologists have discovered nine skeletons, who were identified as four adult males, two adult females and three children. Only one of the male warriors had been given a proper burial, being placed in a tomb with his weapon and belongings. The other skeletons showed traces of violent injuries and seemed to have been simply left on the site of their death by the killers.

Many clues discovered on the site suggest that the Vikings could have come into conflict with the indigenous people of the region. Besides the skeletons that were found, who were most likely killed in combat, the numerous remains of native American weapons found on the site suggest the colony suffered a large-scale attack by indigenous warriors.

Several artifacts were also found on the site, suggesting the inhabitants of the site who survived the attack, must have left hastily. These include a dozen of pieces of jewelry, like brooches, pins, and arm-rings, mostly made of silver and walrus ivory. The archaeologists also unearthed iron pots, potteries, oil lamps, tools, a whetstone, coins, as well as a few broken weapons and pieces of armor.

Dozens of silex arrowheads were found all over the site, suggesting the settlement could have been attacked by the ancestors of the Lenape tribe.

The Vikings were Germanic Norse seafarers, speaking the Old Norse language, who raided and traded from their Scandinavian homelands across wide areas of northern and central Europe, as well as European Russia, during the late 8th to late 11th centuries.

Using their advanced seafaring skills and their famous longships, they created colonies and trading posts throughout the North Atlantic islands, navigating as far as the north-eastern coast of North America. Another short-lived Viking settlement was already discovered in 1960, in present-day L’Anse aux Meadows, located in the province Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada. The remains of butternuts found on that site had indeed suggested that other settlements further south because these nuts do not grow naturally north of New Brunswick.

The scientists believe that the settlement could indeed be the legendary Norse colony known as “Vinland”, mentioned in the Icelandic Sagas. Based on the idea that the name meant “wine-land”, historians had long speculated that the region contained wild grapes. Wild grapes were, indeed, still growing in many areas of the Hudson Valley when the first European settlers arrived in the region, so the archaeologists believe that this could really be the colony described in the mythological saga.

Look Guys! The 17th century WASPs made the Standard Operating Procedure:
NEVER, EVER, publish ANYTHING about Norse in North America. Didn’t you get the message. The Norse were there 1,000 years ago, but NOBODY publishes anything about them and lives long. Get it! The Feds have your number.

WASPS (White Anglo Saxon Protestants)) are a Nordic people. They are the direct descendants of Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. Where did their ancestors migrate to England from? Norway and Northern Germany of course.

It will forever baffle me how land already inhabited by a civilization could be “discovered” simply by sailing there, especially since he was lost and thought he was possibly near India. Off shore close by areas were already known to fishermen and some of their maps already included parts of the shoreline.

discovered was a roman term for military conquest, nobody, not columbus, not anyone at the time, thought that they were discovering anything, the context of the word discover has changed over time so the myth remains.

I am from the Hudson Valley in Highland Falls N.Y and would love to find out more of the Viking Settlements at Stony Point N.Y. When I was young my father used to take me down that way to see all the ships that where left over from W.W 2 and Korea. Please let me know when you have more info on the Viking’s living along the Hudson River. Thanks, Ken

Columbus landed in what is now central America in 1492-ish. Erikson and crew landed in what is now Newfoundland, Canada in roughly 1000. There is even some evidence that eastern Asians (Chinese/Japanese) landed on the west coast as early as the first century.

Only reason Columbus gets so much credit is he had better scribes and record keepers.

Ken was merely pointing out that WW2 ships were open to the public when he was young, and hoping these Viking remains might also be available for public viewing. “Retarded” is a term no longer used by civilized people, but maybe there’s still some viking blood around?

Corwin. Columbus claimed parts of the America’s for Spain. He did not found this country. He was dead long before North America was settled. Even then it was split up between England, France, Spain and Mexico. Yes Corwin, parts of the United States we once part of Mexico. No Columbus did not found this or any other country, but idiots like you will be the one’s to bring it to an end.

Thank you Doris for pointing out Corwin Walsh’s rudeness. Actually Columbus had nothing to do with finding any country (There were civilized people living in the Americas before he arrived with cities bigger than any in Europe.) and Columbus was only interested in exploiting the people who had been living on the Carribean islands. Columbus enslaved the people living there, raped the women and cut off the hands of people who failed to supply him with gold. Certainly not a person we should honor.

I was born In Cornwall on the hudson Highlands, This is very exciting news ,The Clown that keeps calling others retarded Has no idea of The pride We the People from that region have In Discovering more historical facts Of our Area .

I happen to know that Vikings called it Wineland. First they mixed up the names of Iceland and Greenland and after that they found Wineland. Norway Iceland Greenland Wineland was the route, and i think That part of america where they landed first also is named Newfoundland. It got the name Wineland because of the sour wild grapes growing there. The Viking responsible for that was Erik Röde (Eric Red)..

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